Affleck set for African thriller

LOS ANGELES-Ben Affleck is in talks to star in and direct a political thriller set in Africa. The Oscar-winning filmmaker is taking to the director's chair for the fifth time with the as-yet-untitled movie for Warner Bros, reported Deadline.

The "big-scale action" movie, which will be written by Will Staples, is about a group of mercenaries who are hired to kill a warlord, who has been victimising his own people.

Ben will also produce the political film - which will be " an examination of the moral ambiguities of how philanthropy and foreign assistance veers into modern-day neocolonialism" - with Matt Damon and Jennifer Todd through their Pearl Street production company.

The 41-year-old star, who is set to don the cape to play Batman in Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel sequel, previously directed Gone Baby Gone, The Town and political thriller Argo.